A few weeks ago our Moon Time Sisters – Ontario collected almost 80,000 items for women and girls living in 9 northern remote communities in northern Ontario. Everything has now been delivered! Special thanks to Veronica Brown who led and organized 30 volunteers who collected, sorted and packed the supplies in Toronto; Bob Langlois from Oakville, who helped organize staging/storage and logistics; Spaces Self Storage and Peter Obradovich who received, stored and allowed us to palletize product at their location; Trucks for Change Network who helped organize transportation; Carmen Transportation for free delivery to warehouse; Gardewine Group Inc for discount trucking to three northern locations; and Air Creebec who helped with air transportation and many others!

On November 26th & 27th Bimose Member First Nation communities were given a generous donation of 43 units of bedroom furniture, consisting of bedframes, end tables, dressers, couches and more a hotel in Richmond Hill that True North Aid was able to help facilitate. Read Bimose’s release HERE and see the many partner organizations who helped. Furniture for First Nations is one of our final projects for 2019 – $8000 is needed to cover our cost associated with this shipment. Special thanks to Sheraton Parkway Hotel , Canadian Pacific Railway, Lets Get Moving, Bimose Tribal Council, City of Kenora, OPP Kenora Detachment and many others.

True North Aid is partnering with Naujaat, Nunavut to send 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to Tunsarvik School. With the help of the librarian at the school, these essential supplies will be distributed during their biweekly attendance assemblies. Backpacks and school supplies are extremely expensive in the north and many families cannot afford them. Help True North Aid with the transportation costs associated with this important project!

Webequie First Nation is a remote community located 350km north of Thunderbay. With 800 members and no arena, children play outside in -40 temperatures. Children love to play hockey and dream of becoming professional hockey players one day. This past September, many Oakville families collected much needed equipment to support the kids in this community and this week the shipment is expected to arrive. Special thanks to Sew on Fire Ministries for helping us prepare this shipment and Shelly Poulton and Kristi Foley for organizing this drive and sorting the equipment.

The Ballantyne Project travelled to Tootinaowaziibeeng First Nation in Manitoba November 18th to 21st to share important information about The Ballantyne Entrepreneurship Program and recruit youth applicants to join this program.

Dwight and the team travel to Southend First Nation, Saskatchewan for their third and final trip of 2019. Check out their Facebook page for videos, pictures and updates.

Maamiikiwe is one of our projects that we are supporting this month with our “I Didn’t Know Campaign.” We were able to celebrate a large donation of baby clothing, formula, diapers, toiletries, feminine hygiene products and much more to give to the new moms and caregivers. Thank you for your support in covering the costs of shipment – we continue to send supplies to Sioux Lookout in the name of this project. Please consider a donation to help!

Hockey Cares 2019 was an amazing success and would not have been possible without the incredible team of volunteers and parents in both Attawapiskat and Oakville and the generosity of so many people and business who supported this important project. The youth had an amazing time going to camp, learning how to smoke moose, cut up a goose, learning cree and most importantly, playing hockey, building new friendships, strengthening the ones they have and learning from one another.

Thank you players and families for your participation in Hockey Cares 2019. If any of you are inspired to join our Hockey Cares committee watch for our 2020 committee request to come out early next year!!! Sue Heddle, Founder.

Visit our Hockey Cares Facebook page to view many pictures and reports about this amazing trip.

Over the past few days True North Aid had the opportunity to talk about our work with almost 2000 students in Milton ON. St Benedicts Elementary and Our Lady of Fatima will collect more than 1000 gift packages for students in northern schools through our northern presents program. These packages are expected to be shipped within the next few days to Southend, Saskatchewan as the Ballantyne Project visits the community to recruit for their Entrepreneurship program and Bimose Tribal Council communities will also distribute next week in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police.

Friends of the North Misiway’s ” Sharing Abundance ” Food Drive is happening in Kingston and is in its fourth year of doing so. The food collected and donated will go to support the James Bay Area communities and their new “community cupboard” that arrived from Kingston this past summer.
For more information on this initiative or to learn how to support the food drive, contact Doris Thomas at fonm@truenorthaid.ca

Good Ally Project Leaders Steve and Katie Koopman were recently the recipients of the Paul Harris Fellowship Award presented by the Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston.

Congratulations, Steve and Katie for your remarkable work with the Rez Girls 64 team from Eabametoong First Nation and with youth through photography! Very well deserved!

Support Good Ally Project as part of our initiatives to kick off strong in 2020! Part of the #IDidntKnow campaign.